Christ's Light Shines in YOU share It!

YOU ARE...

The Light of a Christian Cannot Escape Notice

From a homily on the Acts of the Apostles 

by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

There is nothing colder 

than a Christian 

who does not seek to save others.

You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two small coins will be your accuser.  Peter said, Silver and gold I have not.  Paul was so poor that he was often hungry and went without necessary food.

You cannot plead humble birth, for they were humbly born, of humble stock.  You cannot offer the excuse of lack of education, for they were uneducated.  You cannot plead ill-health, for Timothy also had poor health, with frequent illnesses.

Each one can help his neighbor if only he is willing to do what is in his power.  Look at the trees that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are, upstanding, smooth and tall?  If we had a garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit—pomegranates and olives—to trees that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility have is small.

Share the Light of Christ with your neighbor

Such are those men who think only of their own concerns.  In fact, they are even worse: the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the selfish fit only for punishment.   Such were those foolish virgins who were chaste, comely and self-controlled, but did nothing for anyone.  So they are consumed in the fire.  Such are those men who refuse to give Christ food.

Notice that none of them 

is accused of personal sins.  

They are not accused of committing fornication 

or perjury or any such sin at all: 

only of not helping anybody else.  

Parable about the Talents 

The man who buried the talent was like this.  

His life was blameless, but he was of no service to others.

How can such a person be a Christian?  Tell me, if yeast did not make the whole mass like itself, is it  really yeast?  Again, if perfume failed to pervade all around it with its fragrance, would we call it perfume?

Do not say: it is impossible for me to influence others.  If you are a Christian, it is impossible for this not to happen.  Things found in nature cannot be denied; so here, for it is a question of the nature of the Christian.

Do not insult God.  If you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted him.  If you say that a Christian cannot help others, you have insulted God and called him a liar.  It is easier for the sun not to give warmth or shine than for a Christian not to shed his light.  It is easier for light to be darkness than for this to happen.

Do not say then that it is impossible.  The opposite is impossible.  Do not insult God.  If we have put our affairs in order, these things will certainly come to be, and will follow as a natural consequence. 

Let Christ shine through you - save souls

 The light of a Christian cannot escape notice.  So bright a lamp cannot be hidden.

taken from the Liturgy o the Hours

Christ's Light Shines in YOU share It!

YOU ARE...

The Light of a Christian Cannot Escape Notice

From a homily on the Acts of the Apostles 

by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

There is nothing colder 

than a Christian 

who does not seek to save others.

You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two small coins will be your accuser.  Peter said, Silver and gold I have not.  Paul was so poor that he was often hungry and went without necessary food.

You cannot plead humble birth, for they were humbly born, of humble stock.  You cannot offer the excuse of lack of education, for they were uneducated.  You cannot plead ill-health, for Timothy also had poor health, with frequent illnesses.

Each one can help his neighbor if only he is willing to do what is in his power.  Look at the trees that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are, upstanding, smooth and tall?  If we had a garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit—pomegranates and olives—to trees that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility have is small.

Share the Light of Christ with your neighbor

Such are those men who think only of their own concerns.  In fact, they are even worse: the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the selfish fit only for punishment.   Such were those foolish virgins who were chaste, comely and self-controlled, but did nothing for anyone.  So they are consumed in the fire.  Such are those men who refuse to give Christ food.

Notice that none of them 

is accused of personal sins.  

They are not accused of committing fornication 

or perjury or any such sin at all: 

only of not helping anybody else.  

Parable about the Talents 

The man who buried the talent was like this.  

His life was blameless, but he was of no service to others.

How can such a person be a Christian?  Tell me, if yeast did not make the whole mass like itself, is it  really yeast?  Again, if perfume failed to pervade all around it with its fragrance, would we call it perfume?

Do not say: it is impossible for me to influence others.  If you are a Christian, it is impossible for this not to happen.  Things found in nature cannot be denied; so here, for it is a question of the nature of the Christian.

Do not insult God.  If you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted him.  If you say that a Christian cannot help others, you have insulted God and called him a liar.  It is easier for the sun not to give warmth or shine than for a Christian not to shed his light.  It is easier for light to be darkness than for this to happen.

Do not say then that it is impossible.  The opposite is impossible.  Do not insult God.  If we have put our affairs in order, these things will certainly come to be, and will follow as a natural consequence. 

Let Christ shine through you - save souls

 The light of a Christian cannot escape notice.  So bright a lamp cannot be hidden.

Christ's Light Shines in YOU share It!

YOU ARE...

The Light of a Christian cannot escape notice

From a homily on the Acts of the Apostles 

by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

There is nothing colder 

than a Christian 

who does not seek to save others.

You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two small coins will be your accuser.  Peter said, Silver and gold I have not.  Paul was so poor that he was often hungry and went without necessary food.

You cannot plead humble birth, for they were humbly born, of humble stock.  You cannot offer the excuse of lack of education, for they were uneducated.  You cannot plead ill-health, for Timothy also had poor health, with frequent illnesses.

Each one can help his neighbor if only he is willing to do what is in his power.  Look at the trees that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are, upstanding, smooth and tall?  If we had a garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit—pomegranates and olives—to trees that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility have is small.

Share the Light of Christ with your neighbor

Such are those men who think only of their own concerns.  In fact, they are even worse: the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the selfish fit only for punishment.   Such were those foolish virgins who were chaste, comely and self-controlled, but did nothing for anyone.  So they are consumed in the fire.  Such are those men who refuse to give Christ food.

Notice that none of them 

is accused of personal sins.  

They are not accused of committing fornication 

or perjury or any such sin at all: 

only of not helping anybody else.  

The man who buried the talent was like this.  

His life was blameless, but he was of no service to others.

How can such a person be a Christian?  Tell me, if yeast did not make the whole mass like itself, is it  really yeast?  Again, if perfume failed to pervade all around it with its fragrance, would we call it perfume?

Do not say: it is impossible for me to influence others.  If you are a Christian, it is impossible for this not to happen.  Things found in nature cannot be denied; so here, for it is a question of the nature of the Christian.

Do not insult God.  If you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted him.  If you say that a Christian cannot help others, you have insulted God and called him a liar.  It is easier for the sun not to give warmth or shine than for a Christian not to shed his light.  It is easier for light to be darkness than for this to happen.

Do not say then that it is impossible.  The opposite is impossible.  Do not insult God.  If we have put our affairs in order, these things will certainly come to be, and will follow as a natural consequence. 

Let Christ shine through you - save souls

 The light of a Christian cannot escape notice.  So bright a lamp cannot be hidden.

You are the Salt of the Earth - What that Means

Salt of the Earth &

Light of the World

Homily by St. John Chrysostom

Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, he says, but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you only into two cities only or ten to twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the prophets of old, but across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when he says: 

You are the salt of the earth, 

he is indicating that all mankind had lost its savor 

and had been corrupted by sin. 

Therefore, he requires of these men those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just will not keep his good works to himself but will see to it that these admirable fountains send out their streams for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth will order his life so as to contribute to the common good.

St. John Chrysostom

Do not think, he says, that you are destined for easy struggles or unimportant tasks. 

You are the salt of the earth. 

What do these words imply? Did the disciples restore what had already turned rotten? Not at all. Salt cannot help what is already corrupted. That is not what they did. But what had first been renewed and freed from corruption and then turned over to them, they salted and preserved in the newness the Lord had bestowed. It took the power of Christ to free men from the corruption caused by sin; it was the task of the apostles through strenuous labor to keep that corruption from returning.

Have you noticed how, bit by bit, Christ shows them to be superior to the prophets? He says they are to be teachers not simply for Palestine but for the whole world. Do not be surprised, then, he says, that I address you apart from the others and involve you in such a dangerous enterprise. Consider the numerous and extensive cities, peoples and nations I will be sending you to govern. For this reason I would have you make others prudent, as well as being prudent yourselves. For unless you can do that, you will not be able to sustain even yourselves.

If others lose their savor, then your ministry will help them regain it. But if you yourselves suffer that loss, you will drag others down with you. Therefore, the greater the undertakings put into your hands, the more zealous you must be. For this reason he says: But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can its flavor be restored? It is good for nothing now, but to be thrown out and trampled by men’s feet.

When they hear the words: When they curse you and persecute you and accuse you of every evil, They may be afraid to come forward. Therefore he says: “Unless you are prepared for that sort of thing, it is in vain that I have chosen you. Curses shall necessarily be your lot but they shall not harm you and will simply be a testimony to your constancy. If through fear, however, you fail to show the forcefulness your mission demands, your lot will be much worse, for all will speak evil of you and despise you. That is what being trampled by men’s feet means”.

Then he passes on to a more exalted comparison: You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole world. The light he means is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents dissipation; it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. 

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 

nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket. 

Here again he is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles.

HERE I AM LORD WITH LYRICS

Year of Faith: Oct. 11, 2012-Nov. 24, 2013

The Year of Faith 

is a 

“summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, 

the One Savior of the world”  

(Porta Fidei 6). 

In other words, the Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion – to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. 

The “door of faith” is opened at one’s baptism, but during this year Catholics are called to open it again, walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church. 

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/ 

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Pope Benedict XVI has stated that the Year of Faith is to be a worldwide moment of prayer. One way to fulfill this request is the promotion of the World Mission Rosary. . . that was conceived in 1951 by the Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The World Mission Rosary unites people of the world in a spiritual communion and as Bishop Sheen said, the one who prays it will “embrace all continents, all people in prayer.”

In the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that God has opened the door of faith for the early Church.  But did you know that God has opened the door of faith for each one us and he invites us to step through the threshold into a deeper relationship with him.

The upcoming Year of Faith is an opportunity for every Catholic to turn towards Jesus Christ, encounter him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and rediscover the Faith and Church.

2nd Vatican Council 1962-1965

With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011,Porta Fidei. . . , Pope Benedict XVI declared that a "Year of Faith" will begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013. October 11, 2012, the first day of the Year of Faith, is the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. . . (Vatican II) and also the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

During the Year of Faith, Catholics are asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the catechism so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.

"The 'door of faith' (Acts14:27) 
is always open for us, 
ushering us into 
the life of communion with God 
and offering entry into his Church."

 --Pope Benedict XVI, 

Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei 

for the Indiction of the Year of Faith

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/

 

Pope Benedict Asks the Faithful to 

"Cherish the Rosary 

during the Year of Faith"

Before praying the Angelus on Octctober 7, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI recalled that the traditional annual "supplication", in which thousands of faithful around the world participate, is taking place today at the Italian shrine of Pompei, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.

"As we too spiritually unite ourselves to that choral invocation, I would like to invite everyone 

to cherish the Rosary during the forthcoming Year of Faith. 

With the Rosary, in fact, we allow ourselves to be guided by Mary, the model of faith, 

in meditating upon the mysteries of Christ, 

and day after day we are helped to assimilate the Gospel so that it can shape our lives. 

Therefore, in the wake of my predecessors, 

and in particular Blessed John Paul II who ten years ago gave us his Apostolic Letter 

'Rosarium Virginis Mariae', 

I invite people to pray the Rosary individually, 

in the family and in the community, placing themselves in the school of Mary who leads us to Christ, the living center of our faith".

— from Vatican Information Service

 Disciples Called To Witness  

                    The New Evangelization

A statement by the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis

How often do we fail to realize that we are called to be Christ's witnesses to the world? How often do we reach out to our missing brothers and sisters by inviting them to join us at Mass or by asking why they no longer feel welcomed at Church? Did you know that through our baptism, we are called to proclaim the Good News to all people, everywhere and at all times. 

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/disciples-called-to-witness/

  

PLENARY INDULGENCE 

FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH

Vatican City, (VIS) - According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro and Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant faithful Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the Year of Faith. The indulgence will be valid from the opening of the Year on 11 October 2012 until its end on 24 November 2013.

"The day of the fiftieth anniversary of the solemn opening of Vatican Council II", the text reads, "the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has decreed the beginning of a Year especially dedicated to the profession of the true faith and its correct interpretation, through the reading of - or better still the pious meditation upon - the Acts of the Council and the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church".

 
"Since the primary objective is to develop sanctity of life to the highest degree possible on this earth, and thus to attain the most sublime level of pureness of soul, immense benefit may be derived from the great gift of Indulgences which, by virtue of the power conferred upon her by Christ, the Church offers to everyone who, following the due norms, undertakes the special prescripts to obtain them".

 
"During the Year of Faith, which will last from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013, Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of sins, imparted by the mercy of God and applicable also to the souls of deceased faithful, may be obtained by all faithful who, truly penitent, take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

 
"(A) Each time they attend at least three sermons during the Holy Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of the Council or the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in church or any other suitable location.

"(B) Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal basilica, a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (for example, minor basilicas and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Apostles or patron saints), and there participate in a sacred celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.

 
"(C) Each time that, on the days designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith, ... in any sacred place, they participate in a solemn celebration of the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding thereto the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form.

  "(D) On any day they chose, during the Year of Faith, if they make a pious visit to the baptistery, or other place in which they received the Sacrament of Baptism, and there renew their baptismal promises in any legitimate form.

 
"Diocesan or eparchal bishops, and those who enjoy the same status in law, on the most appropriate day during that period or on the occasion of the main celebrations, ... may impart the papal blessing with the Plenary Indulgence".

 
The document concludes by recalling how faithful who, due to illness or other legitimate cause, are unable to leave their place of adobe, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence "if, united in spirit and thought with other faithful, and especially at the times when the words of the Supreme Pontiff and diocesan bishops are transmitted by television or radio, they recite ... the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers that concord with the objectives of the Year of Faith, offering up the suffering and discomfort of their lives".

Official Webpage of the Year of Faith

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

The official calendar for the Year of Faith

  The official calendar for the Year of Faith lists the events which have been submitted to the Organizational Secretary from around the world.

 http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/eventi.html